Politics

Condemnations trail Rivers LG polls as CSOs declare entire exercise lack credibility

Published

1 month ago

October 6, 2024

Austin Ojomah

…say it was a closed collation process

…it smirks of a process of govt, by govt and for govt

Condemnations trail Rivers Local Government polls as observer groups declare that the entire exercise lack credibility.

This was contained in a situation report by PILEX and CIEPD on Sunday which clearly indicated that that the mechanism put in place was weak and there’s urgent need for improvement.

The CSOs insist the whole process smirks of a process it smirks of a process of government, by government and for government.

The observed shortcomings of the entire exercise were well documented as stated in the report report below 👇

SHORTCOMINGS:

PILEX CENTRE-THE PEOPLE’S ADVOCATES in collaboration with Anpez, CIEPD
I-REPORT SITUATION ROOM and our team of observers (76) on the field
across Rivers State observed the Rivers State Local Government Elections from
the build up till this moment of collation of results.

“While we appreciate the effort of RSIEC to conduct this election at such a tough
time as this in the political history of Rivers State, we believe that there is need for improvements in order to set a fair playing ground for all political parties and candidates in order to ensure a free and fair election.

RESULT SHEET
“At Phalga LGA, D.Line Ward 1 Units 8,9,10, Ward 4 Units 48, 49, 50, 51 Ogbunabali
Ward 3, Ward 2, Oroworukwu Ward 9 Units 5,6,7,8,9 etc .

“The absence of Result
sheet undermined the credibility of the process because Agents of Labour Party and other interested Political Parties asked for Result Sheets and moved to stop the polls if the Result Sheets weren’t produced.

“This systemic flop of RSIEC affected the
credibility of the polls and risked the life of the Ad-hoc staff.

MANUAL VOTING/EARLY CLOSURE OF POLLS
“The Manual Voting process of RSIEC and use of incident form is archaic and prone
to manipulations. Electronic Voting and transmission of results is the best way to go in order to have a credible free and fair elections wherein the votes of the
electorates or voters will truly count. Early closure of polls disenfranchised some electorates.

LOGISTICS
“Materials did not arrive in time or at all in some polling Unit and cubicles were not used for secret balloting. The implication is that such open balloting may sway the votes of electorates who may suffer reprisal attacks if they don’t vote a particular party or candidate.

POOR OR NO IMMEDIATE GRIEVANCE MECHANISM
“Our Situation observed that the process did not create any solid internal
mechanism for grievance or dissent before the results are announced. Such pattern may encourage violence or discourage genuine candidates who have legitimatecomplaint.

” Irregularities in some polling units should be addressed before results
are announced. This is to avoid announcing results in polling Units where elections did not hold or where the election was fraught with fraud, snatching of ballot materials, violence etc. and some of such incidents were witnessed in this election and the candidates affected, would be left with the only option of going to court.

“This is a systemic flaw, capable of occasioning injustice.

CLOSED COLLATION PROCESS
“Our observers were lost as to where your Ward and State Collation should take place and who is allowed into your “holy sanctuary” to witness the collation and how you arrived at your results.

“A closed collation process is prone to manipulations
and should be avoided. Cumulated Results should be fact-checked with polling unit results for credibility. The truth is that the entire election lacks credibility.

WEAK RESPONSE MECHANISM
“The phone contacts of Electoral officers in-charge of L.G.As and wards were not
given to observers, as such when an incident occurs, observers are lost as to who to contact to respond to such incident(s).

LESS ROOM FOR OPPOSITION
“The entire process is skewed to favor the candidate or party of the Government inpower.

“If the Government of the day was in a good relationship with PDP, PDP
would have won the entire seats. Such pattern stiffens fair competition and churns out unpopular or incompetent leaders who may just be enjoying political patronage or settlement.

HENCE, we RECOMMEND
1. Result sheets should be provided in all the polling units to ensure a
credible process and also ensure the safety of ad-hoc staff.

2. Rivers State Electoral Laws be amended to adopt electronic voting
3. Cubicles should be provided in all polling Units in circumstance of
Manual voting.
4. Rivers State Electoral Laws and RSIEC guideline should make room
for practical grievance mechanism (especially in cases of
overwhelming evidence of irregularities) before election results are
announced in order to encourage genuine aspirants.
5. The Collation process should be more transparent and open to all.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well and our Holy book will say,
let everything be done decently and in order.
6. Ad-hoc Staff should be appropriately trained and should be adviced
to only close polls at the closing time stipulated by RSIEC.
7. A fair playing ground should be set for all candidates to have a fair
chance of winning. Democracy is a government of the people NOT A
GOVERNMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT AND FOR
THE GOVERNMENT.

Politics

Obi Urges Nigerian Graduates to Seek Opportunities Overseas if Needed, Vows to Fix Nigeria for Their Return

Published

4 days ago

November 12, 2024

Naijablitznews

Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, has encouraged Nigerian students to seek better opportunities abroad if local conditions don’t meet their needs.

Obi shared this advice during his visit to Anambra State, where he made donations to Peter University in Achina/Onneh and the College of Nursing Sciences in Adazi-Nnukwu. Addressing nursing students, he reaffirmed his commitment to supporting institutions that nurture skills, professionalism, and character.

Obi advised students that, if career opportunities are limited locally, they should feel free to explore options abroad.

“If things aren’t working here, go where they will work for you,” he said, expressing optimism that, with efforts to improve the country, Nigerians working abroad would eventually return.

Speaking at Peter University, Obi urged students to dedicate themselves to their studies, highlighting education as a transformative force essential for national development.

Emphasizing that investment in education is an investment in the future, he encouraged them to aim for excellence, assuring that a stronger Nigeria would await them.

Politics

Parliamentary system better option for Nigeria -Aregbesola

Published

5 days ago

November 11, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah.

Former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has called for Nigeria to dump the presidential system of government and return to the parliamentary system.

Aregbesola made this revelation at a National Dialogue on Home-Grown Parliamentary System in Abuja on Monday.

The immediate past Minister of Interior, who said he is opposed to the executive system of government currently practiced in Nigeria, insisted that the arrangement in the parliamentary system is best suited for a country like Nigeria.

“If you go on believing that an individual, no matter how beautiful, no matter how good, could have the capacity to govern 120 million people all alone without checks, we are joking. So, by that consideration alone, I am opposed to executive system of government.

“I believe the collective arrangement which the parliamentary system guarantees is best for a nation like Nigeria if indeed we are committed to advancing the interest of the large population and mass of our people,” Aregbesola said.

In February this year, a group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives brought a bill seeking amendments to the 1999 Constitution to transit from the current presidential system to the parliamentary system of government.

According to the group made up of about 60 lawmakers, the transition has become necessary to reduce the cost of government in the face of dwindling revenue.

Titled, ‘The Bills Proposing Constitutional Alterations For a Transition To Parliamentary System of Government,’ the bill was sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and 59 others.

The bill was read on the floor of the House during plenary session in Abuja on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.

In a statement, a Spokesman for the Parliamentary Bill Sponsors, Abdussamad Dasuki said, “Today, we stand on the cusp of history, as lawmakers across party affiliations and regional backgrounds come together to present bills proposing Constitutional Alterations that seek a transition to Parliamentary System of Government.

He added that over the years, the imperfections of the Presidential System of Government have become glaring to all, despite several alterations to the constitution to address the shortcomings of a system that has denied the nation the opportunity of attaining its full potentials.

Politics

2027: Kwankwaso’s visit to Otti sparks possible alliance

Published

5 days ago

November 11, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State at the weekend played host to the former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, at his Nvosi country home in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area(LGA).

Speaker of the House of Assembly Emmanuel Emeruwa, some aides of the governor, and members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement were present.

Although Kwankwaso said he was in the state to condole with Otti on the passing of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the first governor of old Abia State, rumours of a possible political alliance between him and Otti, the only Labour Party(LP) governor in the country, spread.

Onu was buried in Uburu, his hometown in Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi State on Friday.

Kwankwaso’s visit coincided with a reception held by the governor for 15 Abia indigenes who recently graduated from the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano.

Shortly after he departed the state, political analysts said they were sure that the visit was partly informed by efforts of the Peter Obi-led LP faction to align with other opposition parties ahead of 2027.

‘’Don’t forget that 2027 is near. Do you think the two men would meet like they did now with talking about the next presidential election? That is impossible,’’ one of them told The Nation.

Another said Kwankwaso and Otti were ‘’very much aware that the only way to oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progress Congress (APC) from the centre is a formidable alliance.

‘’They know that now is the best time to start talking about how to defeat those in Aso Rock. And that, I believe is the core reason for the visit.”

Last month’s local government poll in the state produced a stunning result with candidates loyal to Otti winning nearly all the chairmanship positions on the platform of the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP)

The governor backed the winners because of court cases on the authentic leadership of the leadership of the LP.

One faction of the party is led by Julius Abure while the other supported by Obi and Otti is headed by Nenadi Usman, a former Finance minister.

Political analysts argued that if Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Obi, and Kwankwaso fail to put their political differences behind and field an acceptable presidential candidate in 2027, they might end up not making a significant impact.

Otti had while welcoming Kwankwaso recalled how he offered him a ‘’platform in May 2022 to run ’’ as a governorship candidate.

He thanked Kwankwaso for his guidance and patriotism.

His words: “Thank you for your guidance, for your patriotism, for everything that you have done for this country.

“I want to thank you for encouraging me in 2022 not to lose faith, though we were in different parties, and it appeared as if everything was going to be lost.

“That call that you made about the 20th of May 2022, for also making your platform available for me to run if I had wanted to use the platform, the rest is now history.”

Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, congratulated Otti on his emergence as governor. He also lauded his achievements in the state

“For the little time I have been here, I have had the opportunity of talking to a few people who confirmed to me that you are doing very well. We have seen your project everywhere” he said.

The governor and his visitor urged the new Police officers to work hard, contribute to the security of the country, and be good ambassadors of the state.

“The challenge is for you to now work very hard, knowing fully well that in this society, the son of a nobody can be the father of somebody,” said Otti.

“If people like us who grew up here without any hope at that time can be here, there is no reason why you can’t get here. But I am challenging you to be the best you can be.

“Always do things right and do the right things. You can always get to where you are headed. Cutting corners does not take you too far, “ the governor added.

Kwankwaso charged the new police officers to be professional in the discharge of their duties.

“Let me take this opportunity, based on my experience, to advise you to first and foremost fear God.

“Two, you need to be professionals. Now you are fresh, just coming out of the prestigious institute.stay there as professionals,” he said.